Mein Schiff 7: acrobat falls during welcome show and undergoes surgery in Madeira
In front of around 1,000 guests, a young acrobat fell several metres in the theatre of Mein Schiff 7. She underwent spinal surgery in Funchal. What is known and what our position data shows about the voyage.
11. November 2026 ·
During the “Leinen los” welcome show on board Mein Schiff 7, an acrobat fell several metres in the middle of her rope act. She was taken to a hospital in Funchal, Madeira, where she underwent spinal surgery. That is according to the German newspaper Bild.
TUI Cruises confirmed the accident to the paper, and that the woman received medical care. Citing her right to privacy, the cruise line has said nothing about her condition. The acrobat is in her early twenties. Around 1,000 guests are said to have seen the fall in the theatre.
What is known so far
- The show: “Leinen los” (“cast off”) is the traditional welcome show at the start of a voyage.
- The fall: In the middle of her rope act the acrobat suddenly fell several metres. Why is still unclear. Nobody has said yet whether equipment, a safety line or something else played a part.
- The care: She was treated on board straight away and then taken to hospital in Funchal.
- On board: Captain Kira Schikorr told guests over the PA that the acrobat was being looked after in Funchal and expressed her sympathy. Several performances were cancelled or rearranged. The next evening a guest artist took the stage instead of the ensemble.
What our position data shows about the voyage
The reports so far do not give the exact day of the accident. Our AIS record does fit what has been described, though. All times are local; in the Canaries and Madeira, local time in November is the same as UTC.
- Thursday, 5 November: Mein Schiff 7 spends the whole day in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This is where her Canary Islands cruises end and begin, and a new one starts that day.
- Around 10 pm: She casts off and heads north towards Madeira at around 20 knots.
- Friday and Saturday: No positions. Madeira is outside our AIS coverage.
- Sunday, 8 November, just before 9 am: Coming from the north, she ties up in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
A new voyage begins, the ship sails to Madeira, and that is where the acrobat is taken to hospital: a lot suggests the accident happened on the evening of 5 November or shortly after. TUI Cruises has not confirmed the date.
Good to know
Ships like Mein Schiff 7 have their own on-board hospital with doctors and nurses. For major procedures, though, injured people are taken ashore, usually at the next port. On this route that was Funchal.
The accident has nothing to do with an earlier incident: in April 2026 a two-year-old child fell on board Mein Schiff 7 in the port of Funchal. According to the cruise line, the child was never in danger of their life.
Where Mein Schiff 7 is sailing right now is shown on our live position page. Everything about the ship is in our ship profile.